The Appeal
by pulchra fabula
Summary: Part 3 of "The Damian Effect". Jason Todd visits an old friend in the hopes of preventing another Robin from falling.
1. Chapter 1

"Hey…Mike," a clearing of the throat, "this…this is Jason. I…I know we haven't…uh…spoken in awhile, but…but…I really need someone to talk to. And…and you've always been a really good listener. So…um…if you get this…and don't have anything to do…I'd really appreciate seeing you again. Uh…yeah…ok that's it…bye." The voicemail ended abruptly and left Mike Ross slightly shocked.

He hadn't seen his friend, Jason Todd, in over a few years. He had been a decent guy to hang out with, but once he found out Trevor sold drugs, he refused to see the man again. He would still talk to Mike, but as Mike grew more dependent on the weed, Jason got more and more distant. Finally, he got a call, left Mike his number if he was ever in _real_ trouble, and left New York. Mike hadn't heard from him sense.

Now, Jason wasn't really a bad person, exactly; he just tended to be a bit more aggressive and violent than others. But he could be oddly protective, which some jerks had found out when they tried to gang up on Mike. Jason was big, mean, and he knew how to pack a punch.

Mike sighed and flopped back down on his bed. He was finally just going to sleep all day because Harvey Specter, his boss, hadn't assigned him anything to do. Now it looked like he'd be comforting an old friend.

He did owe Jason, Mike reflected, as he got up, stretched, and began to dress. And, if it was something so serious that Jason actually wanted to _talk_ about it, Mike was going to damn well listen. Jason didn't do feelings—he didn't really have any. He was a lot like Harvey in that sense.

Mike called Jason back, giving him the address for his apartment. Jason sounded so relieved to hear back from Mike and told him he would be there within the hour.

"Hey Jason," Mike said as he opened the door to view his friend. Jason looked haggard and tired, but he responded with a friendly greeting in turn. Jason followed Mike to the couch, where Mike handed him a beer and waited for Jason to begin to talk.

Five minutes passed in comfortable silence before Jason cleared his throat and began to speak. "I don't know how much you actually know about me, Mike. I was in New York to get away from my family. I had a strange family, you know that? No mother, but a father-figure of sorts. I had an older brother, who my father adopted, and a younger brother, also adopted. I just went back about a year ago to the city I grew up, and I found out the man who adopted us had gotten another kid—this one was biological and he didn't even know the child existed.

"I don't really like the kid, Mike. Hell, I don't really like anyone in that family. But…but now that kid's missing. Kidnapped, from what I hear. And the horrible part is, I can't do anything. This is going to sound crazy, but I don't want the kid to end up like me. You and I, Mike, we knew the streets. I grew up on the streets of Gotham before I was adopted. I just can't have Damian go through something so horrible. I don't want him to know the despair I felt, and I don't want Bruce to ruin another kid's life.

"And this, this is the worst part Mike. The kid's Mom did it. I'm 99% sure of it. She lives overseas, somewhere in the Middle East, I think. She moves around a lot. And she now has the guts to want her kid back—she left him with us in the first place! I can't just sit around and do nothing while everyone else searches, because if Talia doesn't want to be found, she won't be.

"I just need a way to make sure Bruce can keep the damn kid, Mike. Any freakin' way would be better that just doing nothing. What the hell should I do?"

Mike sat in silence, taking in his friend's outburst and rant. Finally, he slowly said, "Has anything been done to legally tied Damian to your Father?"

Jason stared blankly at him. He thought for a minute and then a huge smile crept onto his face. "Mike! Mike, that's brilliant. I don't think Bruce did any legal procedures or whatever. All the lawyers in Gotham are corrupt anyway. But I have no idea how to get Talia to court, or what lawyer to get or…" he trailed off looking thoughtfully at the ceiling.

"Good lawyers cost money," Mike bluntly stated before he could stop himself. To his surprise, Jason gave a slight laugh.

"Money won't be a problem, Mike," he responded. "Bruce is loaded. I need to find myself a really good lawyer—the best there is, if we're going to beat Talia. Because I guarantee she won't go down without a fight."

Mike swallowed nervously before gathering his courage and saying, "I know a good lawyer."

Jason raised an eyebrow at him. "Really? How?"

"I work for him."

"Mike, this isn't funny," Jason growled.

"I'm not joking!" Mike shot back and proceeded to explain the whole story about Trevor and the pot and the drop-off. How Harvey Specter, "the best damn closer ever" hired him and how life had been going since. Jason was shocked, but extremely impressed with Mike.

"Nice going man," Jason congratulated him. "It's a good chance, so don't screw it up."

"I don't plan on it," Mike truthfully replied.

"I gotta call Dick," Jason said excitedly, pulling a cell phone out of his pocket. "My older brother," Jason responded to the questioning look on Mike's face. "Here, I'll put it on speaker; if I get stuck, you can explain it for me." A ring, another, and another, and it was finally picked up.

"Hello?" a frazzled voice on the other end of the line asked.

"Hello? Um…Dick, this is Jason," Jason replied nervously.

"Jason? Are you—Be quiet DiNozzo or I'll go tell Gibbs!—sorry Jason. Not that I'm mad you called or anything, but I'm kind of in the middle of something, so—" Dick responded.

"It's about Damian," Jason quickly interjected.

"What do you know?" Dick's voice had suddenly gone cold. "What the hell aren't you telling me Jason!"

"Dick, please, I had nothing to do with his disappearance," Jason pleaded, "you have to believe me. I found a way to get help. Sort of."

There was a pregnant pause and Mike could feel the tension. He shuffled in his seat nervously. Finally Dick spoke again, "What?" Jason gave Mike a small nod, indicating he should speak.

"Um…hi. I'm Mike Ross a friend of Jason. I was thinking that you could do something to legally make sure you have sole custody of Damian, instead of his mother. I know a very good lawyer, and if money is no object—"

"It's not," Dick interrupted quickly, less venom in his voice.

"—then perhaps we can make sure there a consequences if Talia goes near her son again," Mike finished. He waited while Dick thought.

"I'm sending Bruce down, alright Jason? Play nice and get along—I just want Damian back, alright?" Dick finally said and Mike grinned at Jason, who simply made a sour face at the mention of Bruce's name. "And Jason," Dick continued, "that's a fantastic idea. Thanks for helping me find him."

"Don't want the kid to be another martyr like me," Jason said and he hung up, and Mike noticed the harshness in his words, but could find no explanation for it.

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**So here's the next installment.**

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	2. Chapter 2

Monday found Mike waiting patiently in Harvey's office with him. Donna finally buzzed Harvey. "Jason Todd is here."

"Send him in. Thanks, Donna," Harvey said before Jason Todd and a man who could only be Bruce walked into the office.

"Thank you for meeting with us on such a short notice," Jason began when he noticed the frozen look on Harvey's face.

"Hello Specter," Bruce smoothly said, "it's been some time."

"Wayne," Harvey curtly acknowledged.

"You two know each other?" Jason exclaimed. He looked at Mike, who just shrugged.

"Unfortunately," Harvey responded at the same time Bruce replied "Of course." The two men stared at each other, dislike evident in their eyes.

Jason looked at the two of them, clenched his jaw, and turned to Mike. "This man," he introduced, jerking his thumb at Bruce, "is Damian's father, Bruce Wayne."

"You're a Wayne?" Mike gasped. "You never said anything!"His voice brought both Harvey and Bruce out of the little intimidation contest and the older men stared at the younger two.

"Mike. You know Mr. Todd?" Harvey asked.

"Uh…yeah. We used to hang out until he moved out of New York," Mike replied.

"Crappy taste in friends, kid," Harvey stated. "First Trevor and now this guy?"

"Trevor's a piece of shit," Jason commented.

"Language," Bruce growled.

"Bite me," Jason shot back. "I only promised Dick I was going to play nice, not become him for the day."

Bruce glared. Then he turned to Harvey, "So sorry for wasting your time, but I think we can both agree that this won't work out. Good day Mr. Ross." The billionaire playboy turned to leave, only to find Jason blocking his way.

"No! We are not leaving. I'm not doing this for you, you damn bastard, I'm doing it for Dick!" Jason shouted at him. Bruce only fixed the boy with a glare.

"There's no point kid," Harvey added, ignoring Bruce and already sitting back at his desk. "Mike will show you out."

Jason balled up his fist. Taking a deep breath, he tossed his cell phone to Mike, who reflexively caught it. "Call Dick. _Now!_ And put it on speaker." Mike quickly did so and placed it on the coffee table. Everyone took turns glaring at one another as they listened to it ring.

"Jason I— hang on—Alex! If you blow up that building I swear to god I will not stop Gibbs from kicking your ass. I don't care! Get your spy butt in the car right now before someone sees and shoots you! I don't care if you've escaped a burning building before! Get down here this instant!—Sorry Jay, what's the problem?" Dick sound much more frazzled and tired since they had talked to him the other night.

"Well," Mike began diplomatically before Jason cut in.

"Bruce and the lawyer are being a bunch of high-school assholes," Jason bluntly blurted out.

"Jason, language," Dick absently said as the four in the office heard him yelling at the Alex person again.

"Dick!" Jason yelled to his older brother's attention. "Bruce and Harvey don't get along and Bruce wants to walk out, but I did my research and so did Mike and Harvey's the best there is, so can you please just tell the both to get over it and do something! The more time they waste, the more of a head start Talia could get on this!"

"Jason, you are absolutely right," Dick seriously said. "Harvey and Bruce, step closer to the phone please." Neither man moved. "Now, I know you didn't do it, so I'll just be really loud, alright?"

"Will you two please pull your heads out of your asses!" Dick screamed at the top of his lungs. Harvey and Bruce looked taken aback, and Jason and Mike were staring at the phone in a mix on awe and glee. "This is a very serious matter, I would expect the two of you to quit acting like the womanizers you are and begin to act like the grown men two are supposed to be! I do not care about the past, what the girl's name was, or anything like that, do you understand me? All I care about is finding Damian and making sure Talia doesn't hurt him ever again! You may not care about your son all that much Bruce, but I sure as hell do! So stop screwing around, both of you make peace, and do something goddamnit! Or so help me god, I will be on the next flight back to New York! Specter, deflate your ego, just this once, and focus solely on the case. Bruce, deflate your ego and help him! Am I understood?" Dick finished his rant, yelling the entire time. Both Harvey and Bruce looked as if they had been (temporarily) knocked down a peg or two, and Jason stood with a smug smile on his face.

"I said—am I understood!" Dick screeched when he got no answer. He received mumbled yeses as Harvey and Bruce refused to make eye contact with one another. "Good, because I—Alex! Behind you!—I need to go," Dick hurriedly told them, the nervousness in his voice evident. "Mike, keep up the good work. Jason, keep everyone in line. Call me or Alfred if things get out of hand, okay?"

"Yes sir," Jason replied, a slight hint of a smile on his face.

"Good. Gotta go, bye—Alex!" Dick hung up the cell phone after calling the kid's name, leaving awkward silence in the room.

"Looks like Dick finally snapped," Jason commented to Bruce, whose eyes flew to Jason's with anger in them. "I mean, it was only a matter of time, right? His kid is gone, probably half-way around the world, and he has no idea what happened to him. All he knows was that he was beaten, bloodied, trapped and bound, alone in an empty room, and is now in his greatest enemy's hands. Does this sound familiar to you, Bruce? I'm sure Deathstroke can get a crowbar from somewhere…"

Bruce snarled at his former Robin. "How dare you," he hissed, anger and hatred dripping from his words, his fists clenched tightly at his sides.

"Don't let him become another martyr Bruce," Jason coldly ordered. "Do something. Mike and I will be at his cubicle when you two have sorted this out. Don't you dare step out until then." Jason walked over to the couch, where Mike sat, stunned, and pulled his friend from the room. Harvey and Bruce looked at the two young men as they left, then turned to face one another.

"Can I ask you a question?" Mike hesitantly began after he and Jason were back at his cubicle, both of them ignoring the stares of the other associates. Jason took a deep breath and nodded. "I'm not going to ask what the speech was about—I can respect the need for privacy and I don't want to pry. But I do want to know why you called Damian "Dick's kid" instead of being Bruce's."

"Besides the fact that Bruce is a shitty father?" Jason bitterly asked. "Because Dick was the one who took care of him for over a year while Bruce was away. Dick understood the kid; Bruce has no clue how to deal with him. You can hear how upset Dick is; he's always been an older brother—but he has a much more paternal bond with Damian. He can't lose the kid."

Mike took all that in a nodded. "We'll do whatever we can to make sure Damian can stay, alright? I swear it."

Jason gave him a small smile of thanks. Mike was about to respond when Donna walked over. Mike sat up a little straighter, as did Jason. Donna smirked at the two of them. "Go to Harvey's office. They resolved it. The four of you have some serious work to do."

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**So this is the end of this small divergence of "The Damian Effect". Look for it to continue in "The Trail" to be posted it the Alex Rider/NCIS crossover section. **

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